Myanmar needs reforms: Suu Kyi

Economic growth alone will not ensure Myanmar's democratic transition, Nobel laureate and opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi said in her first public speech in Singapore yesterday, and she made an impassioned plea for further political reforms and national reconciliation.

Speaking at the two-day Singapore Summit attended by top chief executives and financial leaders, she repeatedly emphasised that Myanmar's Constitution has to be amended to ensure an independent judiciary and the rule of law.

Ms Suu Kyi also cautioned against an overly optimistic assessment of the economic climate in Myanmar, pointing out that the country still lacked a strong legal framework to protect investments, and that long-simmering ethnic tension remain unresolved.

"Nobody wants to invest in a country that is not at peace. Peace and prosperity can be obtained only if we, the people, decide that we can do it together and must do it together," she said.